Urdu play tries to revive letter-writing
dubai — An Urdu play originally written and produced in Dubai is seeking to revive the spirit and tradition of letter-writing.
Mian Biwi aur Wagah (Husband, Wife and the Wagah Border) will be staged at The Junction, Alserkal Avenue on August 11 and 12. It is based on a series of letters narrating a mixed bag of events and slice-of-life stories. The play has been designed in a way that takes the audience on an intimate journey of storytelling, ranging in different emotions and traversing varying landscapes.
Mian and Biwi are the husbandwife duo while Wagah — a border crossing between India and Pakistan — takes a human form to become the narrator and a central element in the play. Wagah symbolically dovetails through the cascade of letters.
All letters staged are originally written and inspired by true stories and experiences that remain rooted in the history and are yet contemporary in nature. The play is presented in a refreshing light-hearted, jocular, at times poignant and thought-provoking manner.
The narrative
Mian Biwi aur Wagah is directed by Dhruti Shah D’souza, a Dubai-based thespian artist, storyteller, writer and playwright. “Handwritten letters carry a sense of quaint longing and seamlessly merge into storytelling,” says Dhruti Shah D’souza. According to her, the boundary between fact and fiction blurs as a result of narration of these letters.
“I grew up in a culture of letterwriting and words scribbled on
I grew up in a culture of letter-writing. Through these letters, I was learning about the small corners of the world our friends and family inhabit.” Dhruti Shah D’souza, director
postcards. Through these letters, I was learning about the small corners of the world our friends and family inhabit,” she says, adding, that in the play, the actors oscillate effortlessly between being storytellers and characters.
“Letters in Urdu are home to a sea of stories, and presenting them on stage is overwhelming and challenging in equal measure. Yet it was a challenge worth taking,” she said.
Technology is omnipresent and overpowering and yes it is a convenient form of communication, but there is also a fati Ehtesham Shahid, co-author
“From writing letters for my grandma to connecting with friends, I have had a long association with this beautiful form of expression. It pains to see that we are just losing this tradition, which is why we have invested our time and energy into this project,” said Amna Khaishgi, the co-writer and producer of the play who will take the stage as Biwi or the wife.
Amna has been a journalist and a documentary filmmaker in the UAE for over a decade. Her grandfather was a renowned author who published Urdu and Persian handwritten encyclopaedia in India before migrating to Pakistan. The encyclopaedia – Farhang-e-Aamra – continues to be published in both the countries.
Technology fatigue
Ehtesham Shahid, who has co-authored the letters, will be seen in the role of Mian (husband) in the play. According to him, technology cannot be the elephant in the room for all intents and purposes.
“Technology is omnipresent and overpowering and yes it is a convenient form of communication, but there is also a fatigue developing against it,” he says. According to him, it is critical to sit back and pause amid this information overdrive and introspect on what we are losing by ignoring traditions that defined us not so long ago.
“Our generation has the potential to change the narrative. It is just a question of going back to the basics and doing what it takes to nurture human relationships,” he said, adding, that writing a letter to a near and dear one is a tangible way to connect, and effort should be made to sustain this mode of communication.
Mian Biwi aur Wagah is also codirected by Sheherzad Kaleem who is an award-winning producer and director. The cast includes Majid Muhammad — who plays Wagah — who has also co-written the script. Johan D’Souza’s live renditions add a melodious layer to the act of storytelling on stage. Other performers include Maha Jameel, Faraz Waqar and Ram Das Rao.
Mian Biwi aur Wagah is conceptualised, produced and executed by a group of UAE’s homegrown talent comprising journalists, theatre artists and filmmakers who have come together to create completely organic content never seen before in Dubai.
The play beckons a memorable homecoming experience for the lovers of Urdu theatre and the lost tradition of letter-writing.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com